You might have had an experience where you went shopping for shoes and found the exact design that you want. You asked the sales clerk for the size in 235 mm and found out that the shoe comes in 10 mm size units. Since you still wanted it, you bought it in 240 mm, but every time you wear them, it makes you wonder what it would be like if you could customize them to 235 mm.

This issue isn’t the case with clothes and shoes only. The construction market faces the same task as well: finding items that suit and fit perfectly. Pos-H, which is produced by Dong Yang S. Tec, is an excellent solution for the problem. How does Dong Yang S. Tec do this, and how is it related to POSCO? Find out the answers at POSCO Newsroom.

l POSCO’s Partner for 40 Years: Dong Yang S. Tec

Two signs on the outer wall of Dong Yang S. Tec factory caught the eye. A shiny INNOVILT Alliance mark was placed next to another sign that read “POSCO Processing Center.” The signs were evidence showing that the relationship between POSCO and Dong Yang S. Tec was truly extraordinary. To delve into the story, POSCO Newsroom sat down for an interview with Haeng-Jea Lee (in charge of the Steel Structure department of Dong Yang S. Tec plant), Jin-Young Kwack (Dong Yang S. Tec Marketing Group Sales Team), and Han-Jo Kang (POSCO Construction Steel Materials Marketing Office).

Founded in 1981, Dong Yang S. Tec is an official processing center that cuts, processes, and sells steel materials produced by POSCO. About 100 employees are working in Daejeon, two factories of Pohang, and Seoul. Dong Yang S. Tec made its name known in the Korean steel industry as POSCO’s processing center and was announced as POSCO’s INNOVILT Alliance earlier this year, thus further strengthening its partnership with POSCO. The reason behind the selection was its unique Pos-H. Pos-H is Built-up H (BH) section steel, a construction steel material used to build the framework of buildings. The unique feature of Pos-H is that it can be customized according to the needs of clients — a breakthrough in the conventional steel market.

The conventional Rolled H (RH) section steel can only produce products in a certain fixed size. However, in the case of Pos-H, the BH section steel, clients can choose the desired size, and the product is manufactured by cutting and welding as required.

▲ A sample Pos-H at Dong Yang S. Tec

Dong Yang S. Tec and POSCO have jointly developed Pos-H since 2015. It was a momentous occasion, with the cooperation between two companies taking the next step: becoming a new product development and production partner. Dong Yang S. Tec’s Jin-Young Kwack said, “Pos-H and INNOVILT Alliance was a breakthrough for us. In the past, our main business was simply processing and distributing products made with POSCO steel. However, thanks to Pos-H and INNOVILT Alliance, we could boost sales and client credibility, despite various difficulties in the market.”

Dong Yang S. Tec made bold investments regarding facilities by remodeling factories and introducing new machinery to produce Pos-H. POSCO also stepped in, providing technical research support to make sure that the investments of Dong Yang S. Tec would not be in vain but yield positive results. POSCO’s Han-Jo Kang said, “When proposing Pos-H to construction companies, POSCO, Dong Yang S. Tec, and the design engineering firm visit them together. The three of us join forces, like a three-way collaboration. Pos-H is much economical and more appropriate to meet delivery dates with enhanced productivity compared to convention RH section steel. As these advantages became known, the supply of Pos-H is gradually expanding in the conservative construction market, where the use of RH section steel is dominant.”

l Pos-H: Economical Yet Durable

The greatest advantage of Pos-H is its cost-saving effect made possible through weight reduction. Pos-H can save 15~20% of the total amount of steel needed for production compared to RH section steel. Let’s say that a construction site requires 100 tons of RH section steel. With Pos-H, it is possible to build a strong and durable building with just 85 tons. Haeng-Jea Lee of Dong Yang S. Tec remarked, “In the past, all buildings had to be constructed according to the fixed specifications of RH section steel. However, Pos-H allows new customized orders that suit the architectural design. For example, suppose you need steel with a height of 850mm. In the case of RH section steel, the standard is set at 900mm, so you will have to change the structure design to meet the specifications, but as for Pos-H, it can be customized to 850mm. Since the material becomes lighter, cost reduction is an obvious outcome.”

▲ Dong Yang S. Tec acquires stable product quality by applying an automated system in the welding process, the core phase in manufacturing Pos-H.

Now that we’ve seen the many advantages of Pos-H, what about its safety? One might think that Pos-H wouldn’t be as strong as RH section steel since it is made by welding. However, POSCO’s Han-Jo Kang said that this assumption wasn’t real. “After more than half a year of research together by POSCO, Dong Yang S. Tec, and RIST (Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology in Pohang), Pos-H is revealed to have at the least equal or better performance compared to RH section steel. People might think that when pulled on both sides, the weld zone of Pos-H might break. However, after multiple series of high-strength tests, it turned out that the steel broke in the middle and not the weld zone. This shows how strong Pos-H is,” said Kang with a sense of pride and confidence.

Then how is Pos-H different from RC (reinforced concrete), a traditional material of architectural structures? Haeng-Jea Lee said that Pos-H has mainly three advantages over RC. First, Pos-H is a sustainable material. Compared to concrete, which is non-recyclable, iron, the raw material of Pos-H, can be reused indefinitely. Second, Pos-H is economical. RC has complicated processing stages and long construction periods that, in turn, lead to increased costs. In comparison, Pos-H can be produced and delivered in a shorter time, thus, reducing the overall cost as well. Third, Pos-H is resistant to earthquakes. The material used by Dong Yang S. Tec to produce Pos-H is SN355 and HSA500 — both POSCO’s earthquake-resistant steel.

l INNOVILT Pos-H: How Is It Made?!

Pos-H manufacturing was in full action at the factory. Several cranes installed on the ceiling were moving the large steel plates incessantly on the manufacturing process. At the end of the process, the steel plates bearing the POSCO mark were transformed into the strong Pos-H.

The manufacturing process of Pos-H can be divided into seven steps. When POSCO’s high quality hot rolled steel or steel plates are delivered, they are cut into the desired size ordered by the client. The material is then shaped into an H shape, welded firmly, and calibrated. The finished product goes under inspection regarding its length and weld. For a more vivid experience, check out the entire manufacturing process in the video below. (Korean)

The Pos-H is sent to a secondary processing company before being used on site. Secondary processing companies perform several works, including hole piercing, painting, and attaching small parts so that the manufactured Pos-H can be used at the construction site. The final Pos-H products are used in the framework of various architectures around us, such as bridges, factories, and buildings.

l The Credible Dong Yang S. Tec

The main factor that makes Dong Yang S. Tec different is that all of its raw materials are 100% POSCO steel. This demonstrates the true identity of an INNOVILT Alliance. Haeng-Jea Lee explained that Dong Yang S. Tec doesn’t use steel from other companies, making the company credible among clients. Jin-Young Kwack added, “Dong Yang S. Tec is a POSCO INNOVILT Alliance. The title itself shows how credible the company is. POSCO provides one-stop solutions from the raw material stage to the sales stage. And also follow-up management in case a problem with the product comes up. But as of present, there hasn’t been a single case.”

The visit to Dong Yang S. Tec could be summarized into a single word — Trust. Dong Yang S. Tec was able to gather credibility and trust from clients through the INNOVILT Alliance with POSCO. POSCO and Dong Yang S. Tec could maintain 40 years of cooperation with this trust. The credible Pos-H was a result of the trust-based relationship between the two companies. POSCO Newsroom looks forward to the next 40 years of both companies and wishes the best on their journey towards a new leap forward — INNOVILT Alliance.

The budget for the entire event was estimated to be around USD 10 to 13 billion to get PyeongChang in prime shape to host more than 6000 athletes and officials from all over the world. As a result, the winter games will take place in 13 different venues, 6 of which have been newly built and the remaining 7 were renovated specifically for use during these games.

The Olympic flame lands in PyeongChang during the flame lighting ceremony. (Source: Sputnik News)

As the biggest steelmaker in Korea, POSCO played a crucial part in building the International Broadcast Center (IBC), Media Residence Hotel and the Kwandong Hockey Center with its World Premium Products and innovative construction solutions.

SEE ALSO: POSCO Steel Shines at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics

International Broadcast Center

This year’s Winter Olympics will set a new record as the first Olympics to be broadcast live in all U.S. time zones, and all of this will be coordinated through the IBC. POSCO custom-made H-beams for the center’s pillars and columns using Pos-H, a type of steel produced by precisely cutting and welding POSCO’s hot-rolled steel plates and thick plates together.

The HSA5-based Pos-H is seismic wave resistant and can be customized to fit specific height and thickness requirements for different parts of a building. Plus, compared to existing hot-rolled steel which only comes in a standard size, manufacturers have the added benefit of reducing the amount of steel used, thus saving costs.

For the first time ever, all time zones in the U.S. can watch live coverage of the Olympics. (Source: Heerim)

POSCO also applied GI-Ace steel and fire-resistant cladding to the IBC’s columns to not only increase fire resistance but reduce construction time. POSCO’s dry fire-resistant cladding is different from traditional methods that require numerous layers of fire-resistant paint to be applied, requiring additional manpower and hours to complete. Dry-cladding can be wrapped around the surface of the columns in a one-time process.

Finally, the 5-story IBC is now capable of supporting a much larger load thanks to a new composite beam with concrete integrated into POSCO’s SM490 steel. Overall, POSCO supplied 8,218 tons of steel for the IBC.

Media Residence Hotel

The Media Residence Hotel is another important facility POSCO’s materials and construction solutions played a vital role in. POSCO wrapped the exterior walls of the 300-room, 4-story building with PosMAC, a magnesium alloy coating, that is 10 times more corrosion resistant than standard galvanized steel.

The interior walls are also lined with steel. Instead of wallpaper, the Media Residence Hotel is lined with a special type of printed steel that feels like fabric to the touch. POSCO also applied PosMAC to the modular bathroom floors instead of traditional tiles. PosMac is 5 times more corrosion-resistant than zinc plating, and has an aesthetically-pleasing finish. POSCO’s stainless steel, PossSD, made up other parts of the bathroom as it is also highly corrosion-resistant and workable. In addition, each entrance was made with POSCO’s high-strength and corrosion-resistant 329LD duplex stainless steel with surface treatment and color processing.

Media Residence Hotel was constructed off-site, then put together at the venue. (Source: The Korea Herald)

What’s noteworthy about this construction project is that 100 percent of the building was constructed off-site via modular construction. Compared to the time it would take to build a traditional concrete building of the same scope, the construction period for the Media Residence Hotel was 18 months shorter. Since each room is a relocatable building unit, it will be moved to a different venue and recycled as another hotel or dormitory. All in all, POSCO supplied 1,405 tons of steel for the entire construction project.

Kwandong Hockey Center

Kwandong Hockey Center will be home to some of the most exciting action of the winter games, and the facility was built on the “ice wave” concept to reflect the dynamics of ice hockey, waves of the nearby East Sea and the region’s strong winds.

Again, POSCO’s duplex stainless steel 329LD was used to cover the stadium’s exterior to protect against rapid corrosion that is prevalent in coastal areas. Aside from protection against corrosion, the stainless steel is extremely high in strength, allowing the builders to reduce the thickness of the steel plates by 25 percent compared to standard types of stainless steel.

POSCO’s duplex stainless steel keeps the Kwandong Hockey Center strong and corrosion-free. (Source: Curbed)

POSCO also aided the construction process by providing additional support such as internal wind pressure structural analysis, surface treatment and a panel processability evaluation to maximize the benefits of POSCO’s products.

With these new and upgraded facilities completed, PyeongChang is now equipped and ready to host the 23rd Winter Olympics. The only thing left to do now is to witness history as the best athletes from all over the world compete for gold. Best of luck to all the Olympic and Paralympic athletes!  

Cover photo courtesy of Snow Best.